Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, The

During the Great Recession that began in 2007, millions of individuals lost their jobs and billions lost wealth, which resulted in a significant rise in poverty. Almost five years after the Great Recession, unemployment remains higher than the target 4.6 percent (at about 7 percent) and has been slow to recover. The country’s economy and labor market are far below projected numbers. Poverty rose from 12.5 percent in 2007 to 15 percent in 2012, representing the worst rise in poverty since 2000. The safety net, or social programs to help support struggling families, provides many families with the help they need, though it still falls short of meeting the majority of need. Without any safety-net support, it was estimated that the actual poverty measure would ...